Don't Call Me Cat!

Chapter 26: 'Bad Girls Will Go To Bed'

Jared unlocked the door and guided Cassie inside, switching on lights before heading into the kitchen.

"Sit down and I'll get us some water. I think you could use some," he said, looking back over his shoulder at Cassie slumped over the breakfast bar. 

The refrigerator door opened and closed and he returned with two bottles, opening Cassie's and placing it in her hand. "Drink young lady. You'll feel better when you're hydrated."

"Can we sit somewhere else? I feel like I'm gonna fall off this stool." Cassie shuffled her butt to the edge and slipped her bare feet onto the cold marble floor. She'd left her old socks inside her sneakers by the door, too embarrassed to keep them on.

"Where do you want to go?"

Cassie shrugged her shoulders. "You decide. I just need to sit down somewhere more comfortable than this," she said, pointing at the bar stool.

"You shouldn't have drunk so much Cass."

"And you shouldn't have phoned me. I was having a good time with Leya." 

The words were out before Cassie could engage her brain. She looked away, and gulped water, waiting for him to hit back with some snarky reply.

There was nothing but silence. His palm rested on her lower back as he guided her towards the den. "Will the couch be a better option? Or do you need the bathroom?"

Cassie groaned. Did she really look that shit? "I'm OK Jared. The couch is fine," she said, lowering herself down and curling her legs underneath her. She was struggling to remember the simplest of words and her head was fuzzy.

Jared weighed up his options. She was obviously not OK. And he was left being the responsible adult.

Cassie wanted nothing more than to be left alone. She wasn't a big drinker and the fizzy wine had wiped her out. She looked over at Jared and wished she didn't look and feel so shit. Her eyes closed and she rested her head against a cushion.

She desperately tried to keep awake but the weight of sleep was dragging her under. Images of Jared kept surfacing; his blue eyes drowning in fizzy bubbles; his tattoos dancing on muscled arms.

He crouched down and moved a stray hair from her face. "Cass. Wake up. You're not sleeping here." 

He slipped his arm underneath her until she was sitting up. "Let me take you upstairs to bed. Sleep it off and you'll feel better in the morning," he whispered. "Come on before you fall into an even deeper sleep."

Cassie stood up, a bit unsteady on her feet, and leaned against him as they walked upstairs. At this point she was past caring and wrapped her arms around his waist, giggling as he tried to walk and hold on to her.

"This is such fun. Let me stand on your feet and you can walk me to the bedroom." Cassie stood on tiptoe, balancing on his Vans and throwing her arms around his neck. "Now try and walk with me like this," she urged, laughing as he groaned at her.

"Cass, you're drunk and I'm too old for this." He pulled her arms down and scooped her off the floor.

"You madam are in trouble. I'm taking you to bed where you'll sleep this off." 

He held her tightly so she couldn't struggle and break free.

"You're no fun." Cassie buried her face in his neck, not really wanting to go to bed. There were so many more things she could be doing tonight and bed was not one of them.

"Lady, you'll find I'm plenty of fun, just not tonight."

"Well show me."

"Show you what?"